Mechanical stoker.



A. miLvm.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30. 1914.

Patented July 11, 1916.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mwmm.

A. G. ELVIN.

MECHANICAL STOKER. APPLICATION mu) DEC. 30. 1914.

1 19.1,M'r Patnted July 11, 1916'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ALBERT e. ELVIN, or SOMERVILLE, nnwannsnv.

MECHANICAL s'roKEn.

1,19lljl lll.

Specificatio f Lers Patent. Patented July JUL, 1916,

Application filed December 30, 1914. Serial No. 879,683.

, exemplified in Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 1,058,356, 1,111,531, granted and issued to me under dates of April 8, 1913, September 22, 1914,,and February 16, 1915,

respectively.

The object of my present invention is to provide means whereby all the members of the mechanical stoker of a locomotive boiler furnace may ,be-supporte d wholly on the locomotive, thereby dispensing'with the rear supports therefor upon the tender which have been provided in constructions prior to my invention; facilitating the connection and disconnection of the locomotive, withand from the tender; and preventing breakage or injury of the parts in the event of the accidentaldisconnection of the two vehicles. The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal cent'ral section through a mechanical stoker and 'through the rear water wall of the firebox of a locomotive engine and a portion of the tender on which it is applied, illustrating an application ofmy invention; and Fig. 2, a rear view of the apparatus, partly in section on the line as oq of Fig. 1.

Referring to thd'drawings, my invention is herein exemplified in connectionwith a locomotive engine, (indicated as a whole by '18), and a tender, (indicated as a wholeby A), which are coupled together for service, in the ordinary manner, my invention being provided for the purpose of mechanically conveying fuel from the coal space, a, of the tender, to-the firing door opening, I), of the firebox, b, of the locomotive, and intermittently projecting apportioned. quantities of fuel through said opening into the firebox.

The mechanical stoker proper, in connec-- tion with which ,my invention is herein shown as applied, is, in allsubstantial'particulars, similar to that. disclosed in my pending LetterslBatent No. 1,128,428 afore;

said, and as it is not, in and of itself, claimed as of my present invention, and is fully described and shown in said Letters Patent,

it will not be herein described in full detail, further than will be sufficient to make clear its relation to the supporting means of my I present invention.

The mechanical stoker herein exemplified comprises the following principal members: A conveyer casing, 2, extends forwardly and upwardly from a point below the forward 3 portion of the coal'spa-ce, a, of the tender, A,

to a vertical feed cylinder, 4, which is'sup- 5 ported on and adjacent to the rear of the firebox, b, of the locomotive, and with which feed cylinder, slightly below its top, the

upper end of the conveyer casing communicates. Fuel isforced through said conveyer easing, into the feed cylinder, by a plunger, 3, which is fitted to be reciprocated. therein, and to which there is coupled a plurality of pushers or flaps, 8, pivotedto links, 3", extending longitudinally in the conveyer casmg.

The feed cylinder, 4:, is fitted. with a piston, l, fixed upon a piston rod, 1", and is open, at its top, to a shovel box, 9,- from which charges of fuel which are'delivered to it from the feed cylinder, by the piston, 43, of the latter, are projected into the firebox by a pair of shovels, 11, swinging about vertical axes in the shovel box.

I The movements of the plunger, 8, of the conveyer casing, and'bf the piston, 4, of the feed cylinder, are efiected by the piston, 5, of a vertical motor cylinder, 5, supported on the frame of the locomotive, below and adjacent to the feed cylinder, through the connections shown in Fig. 1, and the shovels, 11, are swun about their axes by the pistons (not shown of horizontal motor.

cylinders, 13, located above the motor cylinder, 5.

In all constructions of mechanical stokers known prior to my invention, which embody a conveyer for the transfer of fuel from the tender to the locomotive, the apparatus is, so far as my knowledge and information extend,v supported, at its front end, on the locomotive and, at its rear end, on the tender, which method of support is subject to the objections, among others, of involving increased delay in connecting and disconnecting, the locomotive and tender, and breakage of parts when the two vehicles are accidentally separated. These 010- jections. are entirely overcome, and the installation of accessory members on the tender minimized, by the-application of my invention, in which the entire mechanical stoker proper is supported wholly on the locomotive and without positive connection to any part of the tender.

As shown in the drawings, the shovel box, the feed cylinder; the front end'of the conveyer which is'connected thereto, and

the actuating motors, of the mechanicalfuel to be delivered from the coal space into the conveyer casing, 2, adjacent to its rear end. The conveyer casing is not'positively connected to any member of the tender, and is therefore exempt from liability to strain or breakage, either by reason of the relative movements of the locomotive and tender or by their separation, either designed or ac.

- cidcntal.

It will be obvious that in order to enable the supply of fuel from the coal space of thetender to the conveyer casing to be maintained in the di'lfcrent relative positions of the locomotive and tender,- without obstruction and without loss of fuel by the dropping thereof outside of the conveyer casing, it is only necessary that the opening in the top .of the latter which receives the fuel, shall be made sufficiently larger than thevopening in the floor of the coal space through whlch 1t 1s delivered, to enable the receiving opening in the conveyer casing to be, under, all conditions of relative posi-:

tion of the two vehicles, below the entire area of the delivery opening in the fioor of the coal space, and therefore that, while an intermediate self adjusting fuel conducting appliance may be desirable for preventing the escape of dust, etc., it is not, either structurally or operatively, essential in the operation of my invention. One form of such an intermediate self adjusting fuel conducting'appliance, which is adapted to the conditions of practical service, is shown in the drawings and is, of the following constructionz-An open bottomed fuel, supply hopper, 1, is secured to the floor of-the coal space of the tender, surrounding an opening therein through which the fuel is supplied by gravity to the "hopper and thence to the rear portion of the conveyer casing. A sleeve, 1, is formed on the bottom of thehopper, 1, and'is fitted in a corresponding floating sleeve,'1, ha ving a horizontal flange, 1, which is fitted to slide between a bearing on the top of. an inlet nozzle, 2",,011 the upper side of the conveyer casing, 2, and longitudinal cap plates, 2, secured removably thereto. As shown in the drawings, the cap plates bear on the flange, 1, on opposite sides and entirely clear of, the sleeve, 1", and there consequently being no positive connection between the feed supply hopper and the conveyer casing, the separation of thelocomotive from the tender has no tendency to injure or displace any of the parts. It will be seen that the construction described performs the function of a universal joint supply conduit, in permitting relative lateral, longitudinal, and vertical movements of the fuel hopper and conveyer casing when the same are in operative relation for service.

My invention is not limited to the embodiment of the specific construction of mechanical stoker proper herein described and shown, and any other known and preferred construction in which fuel istransferred through a conveyer casing, from a receptacle on a tender to means located on a locomotive for feeding it into a firebox, may be substituted therefor without departure from the spirit and operative principle of my invention, the leading and characteristic featureof novelty of which consists in the provision of a conveyer extending rearwardly from the locomotive sufliciently far for its inlet to be located on, and beneath the fuel storage space of a tender, whereby fuel may be directly delivered to it therefrom by gravity. and in means whereby the mechanical stoker proper is supported entirely upon the locomotive.

I claim my invention anddesire to secure by Letters Patent:

.1. The combination, with a locomotive, of a mechanical stoker having a conveyer casing which projects rearwardly from the 10- comotive sufliciently far for its inlet to -be positioned, when in service beneaththe fuel storage space of a tender so as to allow independence of motion between the locomotive and tender, and means for supporting the stoker structure, including said conveyer casing, wholly 'upon the locomotive.

2. The combination, with a locomotive, of a mechanical stoker having a conveyer casing which projects rearwardly from the'locomotive sufliciently far for its inlet to be positioned, when in service beneath the fuel storage space of a tender, 'so as'to allow independence of motion between the locomotive and tender, and an upwardly and reari'vardly extending bracket, fixed to the framing of the locomotive and supporting the rear end'of the conveyer casing.

3. The combination, with a locomotive, of a mechanical 'stokerhaving aconveyer casing which projects rearwardly from the 10- comotive'sutticiently far for its inlet to be positioned, when in service beneath the fuel storage space of a tender, an upwardly and rearwardly extending bracket fixed to the framing of the locomotive and supporting the rear end of the conveyer.casing, and auniversal joint supply conduit interposed storage space of a tender so as to allow independence of motion between the locomotive and tender, and means for supporting the stolger structure, including the conveyer casing. wholly upon the locomotive to which it is applied.

A mechanical stoker for locomotives, comprising a fuel receptacle, means for feeding fuel therefrom to a locomotive firebox, a conveyer mechanism having a casing leading to a connection with the fuel receptacle and extending rearwardly from the locomotive sufliciently far for its inlet to be positioned, when in service beneath the fuel storage space of a tender so as to allow independence of motion between the locomotive and tender, and anupwardly and rearwardly extending bracket fixed to the framing of the locomotive and supporting the rear end of the conveyer casing.

6. A mechanical stoker for locomotives,

having a conveyer casing extending rearwardly sufliciently far to be positioned,

when in service, beneath, and receive fuel from, the fuel storage space of a tender, and provided with an upwardly extending inlet nozzle adjacent to its rear end, in combination with an upwardly and rearwardly exj tending bracket fixed to the framing of a locomotive and supporting its rear end, a supply' hopper communicating with the-fuel storage space of a tender, a floating sleeve fitted on said hopper, and connections coupling said sleeve to the inlet nozzle of the conveyer casing, without restriction of free longitudinal movement of said casing.

ALBERT e. ELVIN.

Witnesses:

EMILY L. MYERS,- A. ll. DEWNELLEY.. 

